Yaquina Head Seabird Colony Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area,
Newport, Oregon 2022 Season Summary
Will Kennerley & Rachael Orben Seabird Oceanography Lab, Oregon State University
Project Overview
Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area (YHONA) is home to some of Oregon’s largest
and most publicly visible seabird colonies, and has included over 60,000 Common Murres ( Uria
aalge ) in peak attendance years. The seabird colonies surrounding Yaquina Head present a
unique opportunity for research and monitoring given their close proximity to viewing platforms
and intensive oceanographic studies of surrounding waters. From 1980 to 2010 the common
murre population at Yaquina Head experienced rapid growth and reproductive success however,
there has been significant fluctuation and reproductive failures over the last 8-10 years. The 2022
field season was the 16 th consecutive year of murre productivity monitoring; a collaborative
effort between Oregon State University, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land
Management. In combination with similar studies conducted by Julia Parrish of the University of
Washington from 1998 – 2002, our investigation of seabirds at Yaquina Head has contributed to
a 21-year time series of observation.
In general, we are interested in how seabird breeding chronology, reproductive success,
diet, and foraging activities are affected by changing ocean conditions. However, another
important dynamic occurring at Yaquina Head is murre depredation coincident with increasing
bald eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) interactions. Our study objectives include quantifying the
effects of bald eagles and other sources of predation on or disturbance to seabirds during the
breeding season.
Observations were conducted from the public viewing deck at the base of the lighthouse.
Construction modified the viewing deck slightly from previous years making the viewing
platform slightly lower. Plots were monitored from May through August three to four days per
week (about every other day). Common murre nest checks began in late May, however nesting
attempts were repeatedly disturbed and rocks were frequently abandoned upon arrival. Murres
failed to successfully establish nests in 2022, leading to a total breeding failure for common
murres at Yaquina Head. Eggs at nest sites were spotted frequently early in the breeding season,
but egg depredation was observed within the same day of each confirmed egg sighting in all
cases. In years more successful breeding, we closely observed breeding birds, documented when
eggs were laid and then monitored the progressive success of the breeding pairs through egg
incubation and chick rearing. We observed disturbances to the breeding colony and recorded the
frequency, duration and consequences (e.g., loss of eggs or chicks) of these events during our